Bittersweet
by Neongene
Summary: Ash races to save Misty from the grips of Team Rocket. Find out how deranged Giovanni turly is. How far can a man bend, before he breaks? To take life, or to give life, who has the right? A sad but romantic fic, keep the tissus close.


Bittersweet  
  
Check the time……10 minutes left. He had to make it time, he wasn't going to let him win, not now, not when everything was at stake.  
  
Ash ran though the empty streets of Goldenrod city. He nearly missed slamming into an unturned garbage can and snagging his foot of a metal grate. It was twenty minutes passed midnight and the only light could be seen from a few buildings whom occupants must of fallen asleep with their bedroom lamps on. And if that wasn't bad enough, it was raining. This storm wasn't a scattered shower, it was a full out torrential downpour. Not even the pidgy's huddled in the trees lining the sidewalk could be spared.  
  
It is the reason he was running through this dreary night that would haunt him forever. For the past two weeks Ash had come into many dangerous confrontations with Team Rocket. It wasn't the three bumbling fools he knew as Jessie, James and Meowth. These agents were Giovanni's top men and women. Most of them threatened his very life if he didn't bring this goddamn object to them. And what pissed him off the most is that they didn't tell him exactly what they were after. Those damn agents kept saying to relinquish the 'object'. They must of thought that Ash knew what they were talking about. But the word 'confused' seems somewhat inadequate to what he had felt.  
  
Two days ago a small task force attempted to ambush Ash as he was exiting the pokemon center to get a late-night burger. His pokemon forced away most of the Team Rocket agents but the last few remaining members were able to mess him up pretty badly. Luckily, Brock showed up and chased them away before they could steal his pokemon. It was by the grace of the Gods that Brock heard his shouts of help while staring at Nurse Joy.  
  
He only had wished that Misty had not come out after them. He only wished that the last agent that was running away could not have seen her. He only wished that damn agent could not have seen the compassion on her face as she helped lift me off the ground. And as he rounded the corner, Ash saw the evil in his darkened eyes. From that point on he had a serious sense of foreboding. He now wished that it had not come true.  
  
Only minutes ago he was awoken by a horrible nightmare. Little did he know that it was not over, for it was just the beginning. For just inches from his face was a note on his nightstand. And as he read the first few lines the anger, the hate and the shock struck him with unbelievable force. He began to seethe with emotions as he continued to read this letter, this foul ransom note. It plainly stated that they had captured Misty in the night and were holding her hostage at Team Rocket headquarters. And he had to bring the 'object' or else she would certainly die by their hand. It seems this 'game' they were playing has just entered 'sudden death'.  
  
Within moments Ash was out the door and running down the vacant streets of Goldenrod, unsure of what awaited him. On the back of the letter was a crude drawing of the directions to the headquarters and stern instructions telling him to not bring any of his pokemon and to come only by himself.  
  
"Misty…" He said through gritted teeth. "Hang on, I'm coming!"  
  
Ash bounded around a corner and in front of him saw the towering headquarters of Team Rocket. The building pierced the sky as lightning bolts continuously struck the antenna adorning the spire.  
  
He stood there in the rain, filled with hatred and loathing. And in the middle of the street he crumpled the paper and tossed it aside into an ally as he slowly entered the building. Upon entering he could hear only the wind blowing through the steel structures near the top and the scream of a young girl.  
  
"Misty?…"  
  
And from the darkened hallways a shadowy figure appeared. It was the agent that Ash saw glaring at Misty as he ran away. Ash stared into his stone cold face and moved toward him.  
  
"where is she you bastard…." He said with his voice quivering with anger.  
  
"She is being well looked after." The agent said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.  
  
Ash whipped his head around as he heard another scream resonate down the empty hallways.  
  
"Misty!" He rushed past the snickering agent and followed her screams. Each agonizing scream was like a splinter in his mind. Ash ran dumbly through the endless halls, he checked every door only to find them locked shut. And then he heard it, the one thing he will never forget, it was his laugh. His maniacal, evil, black-hearted laugh that toiled with him as he ran closer to the source, it was Giovanni.  
  
Ash threw open two large doors and found himself in a huge underground room. The ceiling seemed to disappear from view and floor was covered with boxes and cages. It seemed to be some kind of storage area.  
  
"ASH!!"  
  
It was her, it was Misty. Ash ran towards the far end of the room and found a sickening scene. All around him were special agents and members of Team Rocket. And in the corner was Misty, tied to a metal pole. He looked on in horror as he saw her wounds and ripped clothing, and the terrified look on her face. The agents turned to Ash and crossed their arms, saying nothing, as if waiting for something. And it was obvious they were awaiting the arrival of their boss, their leader and Ash's supreme enemy. And as if on queue, Giovanni walked through the mass of henchmen and into the open.  
  
"Welcome Ash, how do you like my little set up?" Giovanni said while ignorantly rubbing his fingernails in his suit jacket.  
  
"what have you done to her?!" He screamed. Foam began to appear at the corner of his lips and his hands began to shake as he tried to keep his temper from boiling over. "Misty! Are you okay!"  
  
She stood there leaning against the pole for support. Her hands had cuts from the rope and she had several large bruises on her legs. She only gave Ash a reassuring nod, although he knew Misty was far from okay.  
  
Giovanni cleared his throat. "She's has been our guest of honor, we have so enjoyed her company. Such a young virile young women." He said while glaring at the frightened girl.  
  
"What the HELL do you want from her!" Ash screamed.  
  
Giovanni laughed. "From her? You silly child, its what I want from you."  
  
"But I don't have anything! What are you talking about!"  
  
"Don't give me that, its because of you that our labs have lost millions of dollars in research. It's because of you that we have lost years of hard work. And you just stand there saying you don't know? Well, I'm sorry but I don't believe you. Now hand it over!"  
  
"Hand over what?!"  
  
"Don't toil with me boy! I am not fooling around here!" And to prove his point he quickly walked over to Misty and roughly backhanded her across the face. She shrieked as he continued to smack her. Ash jumped towards them but was stopped by two large agents who punched him in the stomach, sending him wheeling onto his back.  
  
Giovanni left the crying Misty tied to the pole as he walked briskly to where Ash was holding his gut and sucking in the air.  
  
"Listen to me!" He shouted, obviously now at his wits end. 'Give me the goddamn GS ball you little punk!"  
  
Ash looked at him in shock. "You created the GS ball? But it was given to me by Professor Ivy, what makes you think I took it?!"  
  
Giovanni threw him to the ground. "James and Jessie told me you were the one that took it, they claimed they saw it on you. And then one of my top agents saw it with his own eyes. Now I'm going to ask you one…last…time….give me the GS ball, or the girl dies."  
  
He looked at Misty who had fallen down to her knees with her hands still tied above her on the pole. He saw the terror in her eyes, and he knew what he had to do. Team Rocket was not messing around. Ash reached back into his coat pocket and withdrew the GS ball. All the agents stirred slightly as they awaited what Giovanni would do next.  
  
"here is you damn ball, now let her go!" With one fluid movement Ash lobbed the ball to Giovanni.  
  
The leader of Team Rocket grinned as he moved his thumb over the letters on the front of the ball. With a wave of his hand he motioned for most of the henchmen to leave, but the special agents remained behind. Giovanni then glared at Misty who was sobbing in the corner. "Your little boyfriend was smart to hand it over, but stupid to think he could ever steal from me!"  
  
Misty recoiled from his outburst and began to shake uncontrollably from fear and the stress of what she had been through within the last two hours. Giovanni pointed at two agents. "release her."  
  
Ash let out a sigh of relief as he saw the two men untie her badly cut hands from the cold metal pole. They grabbed her arms and propped her up so she could walk, although they slightly dragged her.  
  
Giovanni passed the ball to another agent who was standing ready with a special container. And as he turned his back to leave he paused for a minute before turning back to Ash.  
  
"Do you know what? A long time ago the name of Team Rocket would always inflict terror in the hearts of all the opposed us. For the longest time, we ran the show. We were the law, we were above the law, above everything! Even god himself. Back in the day, Team rocket meant something. But now a days, our name is worth nothing to those people out there. What kind of time do I live in that little snot-nosed punks like you can get the better of me!" The more he talked the angrier it made him. "The you go and steal a classified experiment from us and you think I'm just going to bow down, just let you have your way! It's time we showed the non-believers of the world that Team Rocket can still run things they way it used to be. I have to show those people that they should fear us! Not mock us! They will see the day and it will be the day it seals their fate!!!"  
  
Giovanni turned his back once more. "Perhaps, now is as good as time as ever to put my message across." He quickly whipped around and withdrew a gun from his jacket. He pointed it directly at Ash. "Now you shall fear me!!! Get on your knees and beg for mercy or beg for your death! For when I implement my new plans I shall turn the earth into a hell unlike you have ever seen!" Giovanni was now completely livid as he kept the gun pointed directly at Ash's head. The boss of Team Rocket slowly drew back the gun and breathed heavily. And Ash could see the demonic glare in his eyes.  
  
"…… you should have begged." Giovanni whispered.  
  
Ash looked on in utter horror as he held the gun towards Misty. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as he saw Giovanni grin madly and pull the trigger. He saw the gun snap back from the recoil as the bullet was launched from it's casing. And as the smoke began to billow, he saw the look on Misty's face as the bullet ripped through her chest then explode out her back spraying her blood and bone fragments against the wall behind her. The agents holding her up release their grip from the shock and let her fall limply to the ground. And the scream…would remain in the reassess of his mind forever. Although, he didn't know if it came from Misty, or from himself. Ash saw the pain in eyes as she slumped over onto the floor in a growing pool of her own blood. And within an instant, a moment that seemed to last forever had caught up with him, and he heard himself screaming. The tears began to flow as he found himself crawling towards were Misty lay haphazardly on the ground. And in a split second, turned to see Giovanni laughing as he and last of his agents left the room.  
  
"parting is such sweet sorrow…Mr. Ketchum." And with that the elevator doors closed and he was gone. Only Ash and the limp body of Misty were left in the room.  
  
Sobbing, he crawled over to her and almost gagged when he saw the wound. Misty twitched slightly as she took in shallow breaths. She slowly moved her head towards his and gave him a very weak smile. "you….came…"  
  
Ash took off his jacket as the tears continued to fall from his cheeks. He gingerly wrapped it around her in an attempt to stop the large amount of bleeding. "Misty.." His gently said with his quivering voice. Ash slowly gather Misty onto his lap and held her close.  
  
"Misty, you're going to be okay….just hold on please!"  
  
But Ash knew better, he could tell from the gurgling in the back of her throat and the blood trickling down the corner of her lip, that she was lung shot. She didn't have a chance. Ash began to weep as he held his dying friend to his chest.  
  
"Ash…..I….knew…you would come…..I never gave up hope…."  
  
He quickly wiped the burning tears from his face as he clutched onto her tighter. "No Misty, don't speak! Save your strength!" He said hysterically.  
  
Misty convulsed and coughed up blood as she gripped onto Ash's hand.  
  
"Ash…..i want you to know that…..I…wasn't following you…all these…years….for a bike…."  
  
Ash began to ran his hand through her red auburn hair as his lips began to tremble. "I no Misty…*sniff*"  
  
"all these years….I doubted myself…..I didn't give into my desire…..all because I was to stubborn…*gasp*..*cough* *hack*"  
  
Misty winced as another wave of pain spread throughout her body. The light inside her was dwindling, her time was short. Misty gazed into the eyes of her friend. They were filled with agony and despair as they watched over her dying body.  
  
"I…wanted….to be..more then….just friends……I wanted to tell you that…I…I…I…"  
  
She began to shiver uncontrollably as more blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. She felt so cold although the warmth from Ash's tears and body could do nothing for her. Ash cried like he had never cried before. He started to breath deeper as he stared into Misty's fading eyes.  
  
"I….I………love you…." She finally managed to speak.  
  
Ash could feel the pain in his heart worsen as Misty confessed her love. Ash brought his hand to her bloody cheek and rubbed it gently. "I love you to…" And with the last of her strength she smiled for Ash and gently squeezed his hand.  
  
"take care of …..Togepi for me" She said while taking deep shallow breaths. The sound of the blood in her throat was to much to bear.  
  
"Don't….. let… me… go.. Ash…promise me…"  
  
He could see the fear in her eyes, the fear of dying, the fear of leaving the world. The anguish seethed within Ash as his body became racked with sobs.  
  
"I promise……..I will ..always love… you Misty…" He said between sobs. Ash slowly bent down and pressed his trembling lips against hers. As they shared their first kiss the feeling was more or less, bittersweet. They had finally confessed her love but the circumstances were horrible. And as he lifted his head, he could feel the metallic taste of her blood.  
  
Misty painfully arched her back as he started to breath erratically. "don't let me go ASH!"  
  
"Misty!" Ash choked.  
  
With her final breath and the last of her strength she gazed into his eyes and whispered. "I….want…..to….go…..home………"  
  
Suddenly her convulsing stopped as the gurgling in the back of her throat subsided. She fell limply into his embrace as the light inside her was extinguished.  
  
"Misty?….Misty….come back….*sob*….come back….Misty no…."  
  
He crushed her limp body to his manly frame and sobbed uncontrollably.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Ash screamed towards the sky. He laid the cold still body of Misty onto the floor covered by her blood. The tears flowed with tremendous force as the despair overtook him. He looked back down into Misty's aqua blue eyes. Eyes that were once filled with life, once filled with love were now cold and empty. With a trembling hand he pressed his fingers over her eyelids and taking a last moment to take in her loving stare that had remain on her face, even in death, closed her eyes to the world for ever. He collapsed over her body and wept, he wept for her, for Togepi, for Brock and for everybody that knew her. Most importantly, he wept for their lost love and for their friendship.  
  
"Misty….*sniff*…you will not die I vain…..your death shall be avenged…..I will see to that…rest in peace……my friend, my love, MY EVERYTHING!!!!!!" The floodgates had opened and it was a horrible feeling when someone close to you, whether a friend or a loved one leaves your life. A great hole is opened in the fabric of your being, one that may never be sown shut.  
  
The anger began to swell once again. The despair was soon replaced by deep seething hatred. Hatred for Team Rocket and hatred for Giovanni. As well as hatred for himself who did nothing to stop him.  
  
He raised his hand and found it covered in her blood. Ash gritted his teeth and he clenched his fist. His nails dug into his flesh and began to flow with his own blood.  
  
Ash shook with anger and trepidation as he slowly stood over the body of his love.  
  
"Giovanni…….you WILL DIE!!!!!!"  
  
He undid the his jacket and draped it over her lifeless body. He smeared her blood on his shirt and took off his hat and placed it in her hand.  
  
"farewell, we will meet again…..I know it."  
  
As he ran for door he stole one last look at Misty. For it will be the last time, he would ever see her. As he wiped away a solitary tear he turned his back and exited the room.  
  
"Giovanni, what right did you have! She was my friend! She was my love! She was my EVERYTHING!!"  
  
The more he spoke the more livid he became, and he would need this anger to fulfill his mission.  
  
The storm continued to rage on outside and it was like a mirror image of what he was feeling inside. Ash was now truly deranged, all common sense had been thrown out the window. After circling the building he found a window washer's automated scaffolding sitting neatly on the soggy ground. He clambered in and searched for a weapon of some kind. He turned a squeegee into a baton and grabbed a length of rope to be used to tie the son of a bitch up. Ash slammed the button to start the winches that slowly but surly made the scaffolding scale up the side of the building. As he peered into each window staring into empty offices he kept the thought of Misty dying in his arms to fuel his hatred.  
  
It was getting very windy as he held onto the side for dear life. And then he saw it. He almost passed it, it was on the forty-fifth story. It was Giovanni, he was sure of it. Ash lowered the scaffolding and peered inside the room. And to his luck, he was sitting right in front of him. Only a few meters ahead and he was sipping on a glass of whisky and smiling from ear to ear. And that is what broke the damn of rage, that damn smile. Like he should be proud of what he did. That bastard. Ash, knew that the stick he was holding would not break that glass…but his body would. He quickly grabbed a length of rope that was tied to the roof, or he hoped it was tied to the roof. Without thinking he tied it around him, climb onto the side of the scaffolding and raised it just above his office. Ash took a deep breath and with blind faith, leapt off the side of the scaffolding towards the ground. But the rope held true and snapped him back towards the building. He held his breath as he was sent crashing through the double pain glass and into Giovanni's office.  
  
Glass shards went everywhere as Ash rolled onto the office floor. Giovanni fell back out of his chair in shock and surprise. Papers that were once on his desk were now being strewn in the air from the fierce wind coming from the shattered window. Ash picked himself off the ground and picked glass bits out of his torn clothing.  
  
"We meet again……" Ash said through staggered breaths.  
  
Giovanni was absolutely stunned and he attempted to reach the intercom on his desk. But Ash took that wooden baton and cracked his fingers with it. As Giovanni howled in pain Ash's penetrating gaze moved down to the gun sitting on his desk. It was the same gun that took Misty's life. He reached out and took it into his hands. Such a primitive weapon, for such a primitive use.  
  
Giovanni slowly stood up as he watched this young boy turn the gun over in his hand.  
  
"What do you think you doing boy, put the gun down."  
  
Ash looked at his hand with Misty's blood and gripped the metallic handle. Breathing deep he raised the nozzle to Giovanni's head.  
  
"Beg for mercy…." Ash whispered.  
  
"Don't be a fool! Do you want to be in jail for the rest of your life? What do you think your friends will think when they learn you are wanted for murder!"  
  
"one of my friends is dead…SHE'S DEAD!!" Ash pulled slightly on the trigger.  
  
"So, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. One death for another, you may kill me but Team Rocket will live on. There is no use boy, you have lost. Now give me the gun!"  
  
Ash took a step toward Misty's murderer. "Beg for mercy, or beg for death…..either way….Misty is dead because of you……"  
  
"Boy, you listen to me, that girl was just a part of Team Rockets master plan. Her and so many others will die as well, but you don't have to. You can live, you can join us! Be a member of the only team that will survive in the future. Join us!"  
  
"I hate everything you stand for!!! You killed Misty! She was my friend!"  
  
He tightened his grip on the gun.  
  
"She was my love!!" He screamed though gritted teeth.  
  
"She was my EVERYTHING!!!" The tears collected in his eyes.  
  
Giovanni slowly backed away from him. "Don't bother crying over her. She was nothing but a scrawny little slut!"  
  
CLICK BANG  
  
The smoke from the barrel billowed in the torrent air as Giovanni reached up and felt the jagged hole in his forehead. He looked at Ash in shock as he doubled over onto his desk.  
  
Ash dropped the gun to his side and walked over to Giovanni's limp body. He stared into his face which still had a look of utter shock. And from the smoking hole in his head, blood began to collect on the desk.  
  
Ash leaned in and gently whispered into his ear. "……you should of have begged……"  
  
He checked the gun and saw it was out of bullets. He placed the gun in Giovanni's hand and limped back to the open window.  
  
The wind had died down and so did the rain. He looked down over the city and flet a torrent of emotions flow through him. He had fulfilled his mission, he killed the murderer of his true love. He had defeated Team Rocket, and made the world a better place. But this victory was like the taste of Misty's blood on his lips…..bittersweet. Ash looked down to the ground far below him. He kicked a single shard of glass of the edge of the room and contemplated jumping. Ash could end it all right now, he could be reunited with Misty.  
  
"you were my everything…….."  
  
It finally caught up with him as he began to sob uncontrollably. Ash finally began to grieve and the hatred was gone. He had channeled all of it by pulling the trigger. But where was he to go now, what was he to do?  
  
"Misty…..I will live on…..and I will carry you with me always…."  
  
Ash reached out and grabbed the rope that sent him crashing into the office and clambered back onto the scaffolding. He hit the descend button and curled up in the corner as he continued to cry softly in the night air.  
  
"You are my everything…." He sobbed  
  
****  
  
~"Tragedy strikes in Goldenrod today as a murder suicide has stunned a city. A 16 year old girl was gunned down in a building soon to be found as the Team Rockets hideout. Team Rocket has been a notorious gang involved in many pokemon smuggling rings and is a form of mafia. The leader was found dead in his office. The bullet found at the scene where the young girl was murdered matches Giovanni's gun. Authorities say that after killing the young girl, Giovanni was so consumed with grief that he took his own life. An anonymous telephone call allowed police to find the both bodies and also leading to the arrest of hundreds of Team Rocket Agents. It is now seen that the Team Rocket organization has crumbled over night. More at news at 6."~  
  
  
  
****  
  
"would you like to say a few words Ash?" Brock said gently.  
  
Ash and Brock and a few gathered friends and relatives were on a boat far out into sea. It had been a week after the horrible tragedy had occurred and no one had the slightest clue that Ash was the one that took the life of Giovanni. As stated in Misty's will she wished to be cremated and have her ashes sprinkled on the sea. So that she could be apart of it forever.  
  
Ash stood up and cleared his throat. "Misty was more then a friend to me, she was everything. And I'm happy that she knew that before she left us. *sigh* . There are those who disserved life but died, and those who have disserved death but lived. Misty left us far to early. I would of love to grow up with her, share more adventures with her…..But now I must carry her in my heart and in my memories. But she did not die in vain…..it was her death that stopped a worldwide organization. That would of surly taken more lives." The tears began to well up as he could feel his throat tighten. Around him were his friends, Misty's sisters and his mom. They all knew Misty, and it is very comforting knowing that she was loved by so many people.  
  
"Misty…..you loved water pokemon, you loved the sea…..its only fitting that you become the sea……"  
  
The tears rolled down his face as he took the urn holding her remains. As he held them over the water he whispered to himself. "you are my everything, and you always will be…..your home now…"  
  
He gently tilted the urn and watched as her ashes were swallowed up by the ocean. His tears fell into the water as the last of her remains were poured in. Everyone began to cry as they started telling heartfelt stories about Misty and her wild behavior. They laughed and cried into the night, but Ash was content as he stood at the end of the boat and stared onto the sea. Ash gripped the small golden pokeball he had made to hold some of Misty's remains. For it was Misty's last dying wish.  
  
"I won't ever let you go….I promise"  
  
Ash will never forget the look in her eyes as Giovanni gunned her down. He had saved the world from tyranny but in turn he lost his life…..not his own….but Misty's, and to Ash she was his life. In a sense, his victory was bittersweet.  
  
The End  
  
Authors Notes: Yes I know that was very sad, but sometimes I like to put my readers through all kinds of emotions. I want them to feel the moment. I like to write from the soul and spill the emotions onto paper. I wanted to make a fic that made you cry, or think or ask.  
  
I hope I succeeded.  
  
Neongene 


End file.
